The old adage, new year, new you hits especially hard if you’ve been blessed with a new baby around the holiday season.
Nothing beats a tiny little human coming into your life during the holidays– it feels magical! But with the new year well on its way, it’s time to start planning for your baby’s next year. Trust me, it will be eventful, and you may not even be able to plan for all of the surprises it brings! But it’s good to sit down and think about the changes coming your way and make sure you’re one step ahead.
New Baby: Months 1-3
New baby months are some of the most joyful (and tiring) months of parenthood. Now’s the time to start babyproofing the house if you haven’t already, as your little one isn’t going to be doing too much without you for the first three months of their life. This is also a great time to plan your newborn photos. During the first month of baby’s life, they will be sleepy, which makes newborn photos easier.
- Sleep schedule adjustment. Expect some sleepless nights as your newborn adjusts to life on the outside! Your baby will require you for soothing as they learn to feed, sleep, and poop! Having help from a partner, parents, or friends will allow you to get some rest during these periods.
- Smile. Newborns smile occasionally during their first four weeks, but these smiles may be related to gas release (cute, right?). Around month 2 or 3, your newborn may start smiling as they recognize their “people” (mom, dad, grandma — anyone who brings them joy and with whom they interact on a regular basis!)
- Head raising. During this time, baby will develop muscles and the ability to move their head and neck. You may notice them trying to raise their head on their own!
- Eye changes. Not only will baby’s eye color probably change due to developing pigment, they may focus on objects (like you!) more frequently.
- Hand & arm movements. Your baby may reach out for & try to grasp things, but may miss or be unable to maintain a grip.
New Baby: Months 4-6
Now’s crunch time! Baby may be starting to fall into a sleep schedule now, but big changes are just around the corner. Months 4-6 are a great time to start exploring activities that help them develop fine motor skills down the line.
- Rolling & larger body movements. Put baby on the floor for “tummy time” to encourage rolling, flopping, or even the early stages of crawling.
- Babbling & speech exploration. Its rare that babies will begin speaking this young, but encouraging them by introducing simple words will help with their vocabulary development. (“Mama” or “Dada” is a must!)
- Laughing. Baby will begin laughing at this stage — and it’s likely it will be because of you!
- Grabbing. Now’s the time to stop wearing earrings, necklaces, and keep your hair tied back — because baby *will* grab anything and everything they can. And sometimes, that hurts.
New Baby: Months 7-9
And here come the big changes!
- Sitting & Crawling. At this stage, thanks to your tummy time efforts, your baby will have developed (or mostly developed) the muscles they will need to sit up and begin crawling. Time to keep a better eye out on things like cabinets and power outlets!
- Cognitive shifts & reasoning. During this time, you’ll notice a shift in the way your baby views and interacts with the world, due to their developing brain! You should encourage them to play games, and you may even notice them engaging with you during game play! This may include simple games like peek-a-boo.
- Standing. Once they stand, it’s a game changer. This means toddler months are just around the corner.
Months 10-12 & Beyond!
The race to “mama” vs. “dada” is on! Now is when baby really starts coming into their own. You’ll miss they days when they were tiny, but I promise — these are some of the most exciting times in your baby’s first year.
- Minor language. Now is when all of your language prep work pays off. Baby will start to say simple words — yes, like “mama”.
- Pretend play. Baby’s playtime will evolve a little during these months, and they will start showing the first signs of self-directed play. Things like answering toy telephones, petting stuffed animals, and “reading” books on their own will be high on the docket.
- Self-feeding. They won’t be all the way there yet, but now is when baby will start to pick up their spoons and try to get those mushy peas in. “Try” is the operative word here — be supportive, even if it gets messy!
- First steps. Once your baby takes their first steps, it’s going to feel like they’re practically ready to graduate from high school! Time flies during their first year, but it’s worth every minute.
Make sure you never forget those first few weeks when your little one was still just that — little! Schedule your newborn photos at Hello Photography today!
